Just Passing Through
by Accidentally The Whole Fanfic
Summary: On the way home from visiting a friend in Zephyr Town, Jill Dresden stops in peaceful, unassuming Forget-me-not Valley to stay overnight at the inn. She never counted on facing such a harrowing experience during that one night, when she was just passing through.


**Author's Notes: **Whoa, I'm alive. I know, I know. I'm shocked too. I really can't get into everything that's been holding me back for so, so very long recently. That's not the long-ass story I wanna pitch here. But, after doing a lot of time-sinking reddit browsing recently, I got my taste for horror and creepiness back. I hope to eventually get back to my multi-chapters as well, but this time, I wanted to bang out a one-shot to honor the upcoming Halloween. I hope I haven't let my writing skills rust too much.

I'm going for a more real-life-inspired horror this time around. The sort of unpleasantness and primal fear you might encounter in harrowing situations in those small towns in real life, way out in the boonies. No huge, grand plots this time, just people being utterly horrible—which tends to strike me harder than the supernatural does, personally. But, be warned, stuff that may set off and traumatize some folks, so the rating's there for a reason. You've been warned. But I hope you enjoy it, and feel free to leave a review later on. Happy Halloween.

**Just Passing Through**

* * *

Gravel crunched under the tires as Jill Dresden pulled into the tiny, weed-choked parking area on the outskirts of town. To her left, a wooden sign welcomed her to Forget-me-not Valley, the chipped and faded paint matching the rustic simplicity of the lettering.

Cutting the engine and the sounds of the Stones coming from her radio, she hummed to herself and got out to stretch. Driving up the coast and through the mountains all morning had been exhausting, and she still had a good day's worth of travel before she was finally back home in East Elm Creek. She could stand to stop and rest for the night. The late September sky was starting to take on the faint golden tinge that crept in with the encroaching evening, and her stomach was yearning for something more than beef jerky, bottled water, and trail mix. Hopefully, Forget-me-not Valley would have the means to fill her belly and give her a nice place to sleep it off. The next-closest town on her route was a good three hundred and thirty-seven miles out, and she was nowhere near being in the mood to drive it.

Grabbing her bag out of the backseat, she stuffed her keys in the pocket of her jeans and set off down the path into town, the loose gravel mixing into packed dirt and tufts of overgrown grass. The path cut through the hills rising up on either side of her, casting her into a cool shadow for a few minutes, until she emerged through the other side into the town proper. Forget-me-not Valley, Jill saw quickly, was _tiny. _A true backwoods, backwater little hamlet on the shores of Pinecta Bay, whose sparse smattering of dwellings were spaced out and dotted among the many trees. To the west, the waters of the bay sparkled with the sun floating overhead, on its way to eventually visit the other side of the world for a while. Jill looked around as she passed a farm, what seemed to be a yurt, and smiled to herself as she heard mooing and bleating from uphill. A farmer and a rancher in a tiny little town. It was quaint, although she had to admit, the smell of cow shit on the breeze soured the experience a little. She didn't notice anyone else out at the moment, enjoying the lovely weather, but shrugged it off.

A few odd sights also caught her attention—she found herself warily eyeballing a strange structure nearby, surrounded by a rusted fence and piles of scrap metal in the front yard, and a run-down trailer in the distance. She couldn't help but wonder for a second if she'd stumbled across a meth lab or two, being so deep in the country, but shook the thought off. What kind of snob was she? Either way, she had her pistol with her. Even if the Valley was host to some sketchiness, she could defend herself if anything happened.

Wrenching her thoughts back to the subject of rest, she brightened up as she realized she'd been walking towards a cozy-looking inn while lost in her thoughts—the Inner Inn, going by the sign. It had a vaguely pan-Asian air to its architecture, and as the door creaked gently to welcome her inside, she saw the theme continuing in the lobby. Dark wood, a plush ornamental rug with an elaborate design, little trinkets and knick-knacks lining a shelf around the ceiling, and several masks hanging on the walls. It was warm inside, and she could smell something amazing wafting from the room to her right, which was blocked off by a printed curtain that didn't quite reach the floor.

Seeing nobody in the lobby, no bell on the counter, and hearing someone bustling around and humming in the next room, Jill cupped her hand around her mouth and called out: "Uhhhh, hello? Hey, if you've got a room, I'd like to rent it!"

An exclamation of surprise sounded from the other room, followed by a sing-songy "Just a minute!" A few seconds later, a short, plump Asian woman bustled through the curtain, giving Jill a polite bow and a friendly smile. "Oh, hello there! I'm sorry, I was busy preparing dinner for tonight. You say you want a room?"

"It's fine," Jill assured her, nodding. "But, yeah, I'm just passing through, and figured I'd stop somewhere for the night and get a little shut-eye before heading home. Uhhh, you _do _have a room open?" she added hopefully, looking up at the staircase leading to the second floor.

"Oh, absolutely!" the woman responded, reaching up to give Jill's shoulder a friendly squeeze before heading for the counter. "Don't you worry, I'll get you fixed right up for the night! Both of our open rooms were cleaned earlier today, so we can get you settled in right away. My name's Ruby, by the way," she added, opening a cabinet on the back wall and pulling out a guestbook and a key as Jill introduced herself. "So, mind if I ask what brings you out this way, Jill? It's just we don't get too many visitors around these parts, except our neighbors over in Mineral Town. Are you from there originally?"

"Oh, nah!" Jill waved it off as she went over to check out the guestbook, and pulled out her wallet to count out her fee for the room after Ruby calculated it. "I was just out in Zephyr Town visiting a friend of mine from college. I'm actually a couple hundred miles north of here. East Elm Creek?"

Ruby counted out Jill's change and handed it back to her, slipping the rest into a safe below the counter. "Oh? I don't think I've heard of that city before. It sounds nice, though... but Zephyr Town, my! Quite a drive, isn't it? My husband goes out to their bazaar to hunt for antiques sometimes." She nodded as Jill signed her name into the guestbook. "...Alright, so it looks like we've got you all set up for tonight! Checkout is at ten o'clock, and if you get up around six, I usually have breakfast ready by then. You're more than welcome to join us—it's just me and my son at the moment, since my husband's on the road, but we also have a long-term guest staying with us. Nami. A girl about your age, maybe—very quiet, but she's nice if you get a chance to meet her. She's out and about a lot, too. Never know when you'll run into her!"

Ruby shared a little laugh with Jill as she handed over the room key. "Well, I'm sure you want to get your things put away and rest your feet, but if you're hungry, dinner will be ready in about half an hour. I'm making Indian cuisine tonight. Have you ever had tandoori chicken? I always make plenty for everyone, and we've also got roasted potatoes and rice to go with it."

Jill felt her mouth water at the mention. "I _love _Indian food, thank you! I'd love to join you guys for dinner! I'll just go put this stuff up—by the way, did you need any help with supper, Ruby? I really don't mind at all," she added, secretly hoping the offer would score her extra helpings. If it tasted as good as it smelled, she'd have to make stopping here a regular thing, distance be damned. Or at least learn Ruby's recipe.

Ruby giggled. "Oh, you're a sweet girl! But it's fine, I couldn't ask you to help after such a long drive! Go on, I'll call you down when it's ready, alright?"

The two women parted ways, Ruby heading back into the kitchen, and Jill grabbing her bag and heading upstairs. After checking the tag on the key against the plates on the doors, she found her room at the far end of the hall, around a corner. There looked to be three guest rooms total, plus an unmarked bedroom that she figured must belong to Ruby's son, and two doors marked "Linens" and "Cleaning." All-in-all, a tiny, cozy little inn, much more homey and rustic than the one in Zephyr Town.

The room itself continued the feeling—wooden walls, a desk with a lamp, an antenna TV sitting on a small dresser, and a full-sized bed with a paisley quilt spread atop it and what looked like a wrapped mint on each of the pillows. A bathroom and a closet sat to her right, and to her left, the soft red glow of dusk bled through sheer curtains. Jill sat down on the bed, bouncing a bit as she heard the springs creak, and went to work unpacking. Toiletries for a quick shower, gun and ammo in the nightstand drawer—just in case—and something to change into for dinner. A knock on her door caught her off guard just as she was gathering her things to go into the bathroom, followed by the locked doorknob rattling slightly. "Yeah?" she called, wondering if Ruby was coming up to tell her dinner was ready.

A young man's voice answered instead: "Oh, hey! My mom said we had a new guest staying with us, so I was just checkin' to see if everything was cool in there!"

Ruby's son, no doubt. He sounded friendly enough, though Jill didn't want to make too much small talk while the shower was calling her name. It could wait. "Yup! I'm just going to wash up before dinner's ready, that's all!"

"Cool! See you there in a bit!"

After a quick shower and blow-dry, Jill got dressed and flopped down onto the bed, kicking her feet together and watching the ceiling fan above spinning in lazy circles. The daylight had almost completely slipped away by the time she heard another knock on the door.

"Yeah?"

"Food's ready!" It was Ruby's son again.

Jill bolted upright, now all too aware of her stomach gurgling. "Alright, I'll be right down!" She fixed her braid, slipped her sandals on, and headed out into the hallway, letting out a startled grunt when she saw the guy leaning against the wall by her door.

"Yo," he said, giving her a friendly wave. He was short and slim, tanned, with frosted blond hair styled into curtain bangs that gave Jill flashbacks to late-90s boy bands on TV, and seeing Leonardo DiCaprio's face plastered on her girlfriends' bedroom walls. Very much white—skin notwithstanding—Rock looked nothing at all like the dark-haired, southeast Asian Ruby, and Jill briefly wondered if he was adopted, or a stepchild. Maybe he just got his mother's skin tone, and his dad's everything else. "I scare ya? Sorry."

Hand over her pounding heart, Jill nodded slowly in acceptance of his apology. "No, yeah, I just... wasn't expecting you _right there_."

"Sorry," the guy said again, shooting her a disarming smile. "I just like meeting the new guests. I'm kind of a people person, see?" He held out his hand, keeping eye contact the whole time. "Name's Rock, by the way. Rock Hyunh. My folks own this place."

Jill gave him a brief handshake and returned the introduction, feeling a bit wary and wondering if she was just imagining his gaze wandering a little. "Okay." She broke the eye contact and started off down the hall, hearing Rock pad along behind her. "So, I heard there's another girl staying here too?" she started, looking at the other two numbered doors as they passed by.

"Yep! Nami, she's staying in the room right next to mine," Rock explained, giving her door a little rap. "But she's always out and about somewhere until, like, whenever in the morning. Real bummer. She's a pretty cool chick. Kind of a fox, too."

Scrunching up her face a bit, Jill rolled her eyes and gave a noncommittal grunt in response, quickening her pace a little when they reached the stairs. Ruby poked her head out from the curtained-off room, beaming at the pair.

"Oh, good, you're up! Dinner's ready, dear."

"Smells awesome, Ma," Rock said, squeezing his mom's shoulder as they slipped into the dining area. He stopped at the counter, gesturing for Jill to go ahead. "Ladies first!"

Jill couldn't argue with that—it looked as delicious as it smelled, and she happily loaded her plate up, accepting a glass of iced tea from Ruby as she took a seat at the table. Much to her chagrin, Rock sat directly across from her, flashing her a little smile and a wink before tucking into his meal. His eyes were still trained on her. She'd have paid double what she'd put down on the room if it could make him stop.

Deciding to focus on Ruby and her own plate, Jill began eating, letting the wonderful taste wash away her discomfort. Compliments were sent Ruby's way and gratefully accepted, and bits of small talk began to float up between the clinking and scraping of utensils on ceramic. Jill found herself fielding more questions than she was asking, with Rock seemingly asking the lion's share. Where was she from? Washington. Any family up there? No, they lived in Maine. What made her move all the way across the country? School. Did she have a boyfriend? No, and she couldn't help but be annoyed that Rock had asked that one with a pointed look. Girlfriend? Also no, Rock. What'd she study at school? Cosmetology.

"I was looking to open up my own salon and spa eventually," Jill explained, chewing on a bit of naan bread. "And then look into starting up a cosmetics line down the road."

"Wow, that's very ambitious," Ruby gushed, listening raptly. "Oh, would you like some more food? Your plate's almost empty! Oh, don't worry, there'll still be plenty left over for Nami and my husband, when he gets home," she continued over Jill's half-hearted protests, getting up to fetch some more food.

"So, sounds like you're gonna be helping make all those lucky ladies as lovely as you are, eh?" Rock asked, waggling his eyebrows.

Jill bit back an annoyed groan and shrugged feebly. "Ahh... yeah, sure."

"You know, I keep telling this one _he_ ought to get to school while he's still young," Ruby said with a smile as she heaped more food onto Jill's plate. "But he keeps saying he should be living his best life, having fun, working when he's too old to keep it up! Ha!"

Rock ducked his head in embarrassment, bringing Jill a small sliver of satisfaction. "Ahh... c'mon, Ma! Youth is wasted on the young, right? That's what old Galen's always griping about. I don't wanna waste _mine _slaving away till I'm dead!"

"Oh, wait till you get older and think back on what you said just now," Ruby scolded, shaking her head. "It's not a waste if you find something you love doing, you know! Look at your father and me."

Sighing in annoyance, Rock pushed his chicken around on his plate, chewing more reluctantly and grunting. "I _guess._"

"And it'll certainly be more attractive to the girls," Ruby kept on, patting him on the shoulder. "You're a handsome boy, but you can do much better than being someone's trophy husband! Isn't that right, Jill?" she added with a little wink.

Jill almost choked on her chicken, helping it down with a healthy swig of tea and stifling a belch. Was Ruby serious? Sure, Rock was good-looking, but he had the appeal of food poisoning. "Well! That is... umm... yeah! I mean... you _can. _If you... apply yourself. Definitely."

"Meh... I _guess,_" Rock said again, face screwed up with distaste. "I guess so, sure. I'll think about it." Suddenly, he smirked a bit. "That's what kind of man _you_ like, huh? The educated sort? Brains _and _looks?"

Jill's brows drew into a frown. "...Excuse me?" Sure, she was single at the moment, but did he really think that _he_ was going to change that?

Shaking his head and laughing, Rock waved it off. "Just messin' with you! You're kind of cute when you're flustered like that, you know. Cute and smart, huh? Must have guys lining up for a shot with you." Now it was his turn to wink at Jill—again—and she didn't care for the wolfish grin that accompanied it. And was that his _foot _brushing against her shin, or was it Ruby's leg? It definitely felt like a wandering foot. Was she just getting paranoid now?

Seeing Jill's discomfort increasing, Ruby tapped her fork on Rock's plate to catch his attention. "Rock, she's our guest! You behave, do you hear? Sorry about my son's flirting," she added, giving Jill an apologetic smile. The stroking sensation on Jill's leg vanished, causing a chill to shoot up her spine. Rock looked far too smug at the moment. He had to know how much he was getting under her skin. He was relishing it.

"I think he gets a bit too lonely out here. You know, you could still meet plenty of girls at college," Ruby went on, looking back at her now-annoyed son. "You can't be there to party all the time, but at least think of it as incentive!"

Rock rubbed his chin, looking up at the ceiling thoughtfully as his annoyance faded slightly. "...Hmm..."

A bit alarmed that Ruby would even consider letting her son loose on a college campus to harass more young women, Jill cleared her throat and pushed her plate away, feigning fullness. Best to scram before she blurted out something that would further amplify the awkwardness in the room. "Yeah, your mom's got a good point... but, umm... Mrs. Hyunh, right?" she asked, getting a nod from Ruby. She pointedly avoided Rock's gaze the whole time, even though she knew full well he was staring at her for as long as he could get away with. "Thank you so much for dinner, but I'm stuffed now! It was great. I'm gonna go lie down now, though. I'm super bushed, and I wanna get an early start home tomorrow morning."

"Of course, dear. I hope you'll stop down for breakfast before you go, though," Ruby said, waving as Jill got up from the table. "Oh, just leave the dishes, Rock and I will take care of them."

"Later, Jill," Rock called, his tone somewhat hollow in its forced joviality.

As Jill left the room, she could feel his eyes boring holes into the back of her head, and she hurried upstairs to her room, locking the door behind her. Her skin crawled, her stomach roiled, and she wasn't sure if she was more annoyed or creeped out. All she knew was that she suddenly found herself wishing she'd just pushed on to the next town.

Shrugging it off, she undressed for bed and slipped beneath the covers, setting the alarm clock before clicking off the light. It was just one night, and afterward, she could head home, unwind, and never have to deal with Forget-me-not Valley ever again. Her exhaustion and fullness quickly overpowered her anxiety, and she fell into a deep sleep before long.

* * *

When Jill suddenly awoke in the middle of the night, she knew something was horribly wrong.

She couldn't quite place it, and she could feel deep in her bones that she needed to keep her eyes closed. Keep still. Pretend to be asleep until she could assess the situation.

Even with her eyes closed, she knew it was still dark... and chilly. She shivered a bit, realizing the blanket was no longer covering her. She was a notorious blanket hog. Why was she suddenly so exposed?

Struggling to keep from giving herself away, to keep her breathing even, she tried to ignore the way her heart was pounding deafeningly, and focus on the other sounds in the room.

The other sounds. Sounds _she _wasn't making. Sounds that definitely weren't coming from the chirping crickets, singing loons, or hooting owls that she could hear in the distance through her cracked window. Sounds that were right there in the room with her, almost too quiet to pick up, as if they were trying to keep her from noticing. Sounds that were coming from someone else.

Breathing. Soft, measured, quick, almost little gasps that couldn't quite be stifled, shuddering every so often. Whispered profanities. An odd, rapid, slight rustling noise, like someone stroking something repeatedly...

Feeling sick as she realized what she was hearing, Jill became all too aware of her vulnerable, exposed state—sleeping in her underwear, uncovered. Was the moonlight coming in through the window, showing her off?

Suddenly, staying still and quiet was becoming a lot more difficult for Jill than she'd initially thought. She wanted to jump up, to scream, to beat the shit out of him. She knew it was him right away. Who else would it be but the sick little pervert? He'd have access to a spare key, wouldn't he? Part of her wanted to roll over and get her gun out of the nightstand, but she stopped herself—it wasn't even loaded. What if he overpowered her in that time, and turned it on her instead? What if he took it farther than this? What if _he _was armed? He didn't need but one free hand.

Hating her situation and hating her fear of it, Jill clenched her jaw shut and simply listened with disgust and sheer loathing as Rock's breathing picked up the tiniest bit. He swore, and the faintest moans sounded. Jill could only be slightly thankful that she didn't feel anything splattering onto her. As it was, she wanted to throw up the second he left her room. _Please, _she begged silently. _Get the fuck out of here NOW. I swear to God, I'm going to fucking kill you. Get out._

She heard some more rustling, the snapping of elastic, and a soft, satisfied sigh. A little chuckle followed. "I'll see you later, babe," he whispered. Muffled footsteps padded across the room, the door creaked open and clicked shut, and she heard the lock tumble back into place behind him.

Rage, shame, and revulsion coursed through Jill's veins as the adrenaline started to fade, and after a few more minutes of staying completely motionless, she finally found the courage to open her eyes and roll over onto her back, grabbing the nearby blanket and pulling it back over her. It was still dark outside, though the clock on the nightstand displayed a quarter till four. No light from the hallway bled in through the crack under the door. He'd likely gone back to his room, or maybe he was out terrorizing some other unlucky girl. Shaking violently, it took Jill several tries to click the light on, and after making sure the gun was still in her nightstand—_Why the fuck didn't I use it?!—_she slowly, gingerly got out of bed on wobbly legs.

Her breathing quickened when she saw it—a large, pearly-white, viscous splotch on the carpet in front of her bed. The bedsheets bore a few darkened spots as well. All too close for her own comfort.

She stumbled into the bathroom and retched into the toilet, biting back a scream. She wasn't sure if she wanted to confront Rock, or just get the fuck out without seeing his damn face ever again. But she sure as hell was going to give his mother a piece of her mind first, once Ruby woke up.

Flushing the toilet and washing her face, Jill threw on some clothes, grabbed her gun and loaded it, and sank down against the bedroom door, keeping her ears trained for any signs of Rock coming back for another round. Ruby said breakfast started at five. She'd give it until then, and then she'd bolt. It was still too dark out for her to feel safe dashing to her car, gun be damned.

As she kept an eye on the time, her mind spun with the whirlwind feelings of violation, degradation, disrespect, and the sense that she could very well have put through even _worse,_ if he'd felt so inclined. She fought back the urge to cry. She could do it when she got home. She could do it in _therapy _when she got home. She knew she'd damn well need it now.

The minutes stretched by with nearly-unbearable slowness, feeling like taffy being pulled, and pulled, and pulled, but never breaking off so the next minute could start. Or the next. Or the next. Every little creak, hoot, or chirp made Jill jumpy, and she double-checked to make sure the safety was on. She set the gun down, hugging her knees to her chest and shivering. It had seemed so pleasant in the Valley at first. Just quiet, unassuming, a little backwoods town where she'd get some shut-eye before hitting the road again. Not this.

Five o'clock finally came into view, and Jill packed with light speed. She wouldn't be getting her breakfast here. She wasn't even sure she had an appetite at the moment. She could brush her teeth later at a rest stop, maybe stop at a McDonald's on the way if she got hungry. Slipping her hoodie on, she kept one hand on the butt of her pistol, now tucked into the waistband of her jeans, and cautiously pulled the door open.

The lights were still off in the hallway, but they were on downstairs, illuminating the upper floor faintly. Rock's door, at the corner of the hall, was closed, and no light spilled out from underneath it. Maybe the sick fuck was asleep. She saw light underneath Nami's door, but heard nothing else. Hopefully, he wasn't in _there, _waiting for her. Swallowing hard, Jill tiptoed as fast as she could down the hall, feeling herself on the verge of hyperventilating until she got to the top of the stairs. She smelled sausage, bacon, eggs, and coffee. There was humming from Ruby, and faint chatter. _What if he was downstairs, eating breakfast right now? _She wasn't sure that she wouldn't blow his brains out on sight.

Trying to steady her breath, Jill squared her shoulders and marched downstairs, her sneakers thumping loudly on the carpeted wood. The sound drew Ruby's head from the kitchen.

"Oh, Jill!" she called, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. "Good morning! Did you sleep well?" Upon seeing the look on Jill's face, Ruby shrank back, looking concerned and a bit scared. "...Jill, is... is everything okay?"

Was everything okay? Jill wanted to laugh. She wanted to scream. She wanted to shake Ruby by her damn shoulders and slap some sense into her. How would she even begin to explain this?

A single word started it: "No."

"What happened, Jill?" Ruby pressed, moving to come up the stairs. "Did—"

"DON'T... don't come near me," Jill snapped, hand clenching the banister tightly. Seeing Ruby's wounded look, she gestured towards the second floor with her head, choking on her words. "Do... do you _know... _what your _son _did to me while I was asleep?"

Silence filled the air, thicker and heavier than the steam wafting from the kitchen. Ruby's face first filled with fear and confusion, before a frown swept her features. She shook her head, and her eyes suddenly grew very cold. Her voice shook when she spoke next:

"No. Because... are you trying to accuse my _son_ of something? Just because his flirting made you uncomfortable doesn't mean he did _anything_ to you."

Jill felt white-hot rage flare in her chest at the response. Ruby's abrupt and drastic change in demeanor had thrown her off. Now it just _pissed_ her off. "Your _son _broke into my room while I was sleeping," Jill explained, her own voice trembling with anger. She jabbed a finger up in the direction of Rock's room. "And he—"

"He did no such thing, Jill."

"—He fucking _jerked off _while staring at me sleeping, he pulled the damn covers off of me—!"

"Lower your voice!" Ruby snapped, her breathing labored as her own temper started to go off. There was no longer any trace of the warm, jovial, motherly woman from the night before. It was as though a switch had been flipped. "There are people sleeping!"

"Oh, like your sick bastard of a kid?!" Jill shot back, stomping down the rest of the steps and getting right up into Ruby's face. "Go check my room yourself, then! He fucking _came on the carpet! _Do you know how _degraded _I feel?!"

"Do you think _I _appreciate _you _barging downstairs, yelling and accusing my son of such things?!" Ruby countered, looking for all the world like she was holding back from slapping Jill. "What is it, you want a refund?! Is that it, you're one of _those _people who makes up stories because they're cheap?! You just want a free ride?!"

Watching in shock as Ruby stormed off behind the counter, Jill worked her mouth soundlessly for a few moments before finding the words: "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! _It's not about money, it's about your son sexually assaulting—"_

"Just _take _the money and get the hell out of my inn!" Ruby shouted over her, counting out the bills from the safe and wadding them up to throw at Jill. "Don't you EVER let me see you set foot in this town again!"

"I wasn't fucking planning on it!"

"What the hell's going _on _down here?!"

Spinning around in surprise, Jill almost pulled her gun out when she noticed the pale, red-haired girl standing at the top of the stairs, glowering down into the lobby in confused irritation. "Nothing," she spat, looking back to Ruby—whose face had darkened, and whose breathing was even harder than before. "I just found out that her kid can get away with a lot of sick shit is all."

"You have until the count of five to get your lying mouth out of here," Ruby threatened. "I mean it. Go back upstairs, Nami."

The girl at the top of the stairs went wide-eyed with shock, looking between the two women downstairs. Her icy gaze settled on Ruby. "Again, seriously? Ruby... you've gotta do something about him..."

"_Upstairs, _Nami!"

Jill felt like she'd been socked in the stomach. _Again. __**Again.**_ Nami knew. _Ruby _knew. They weren't doing a thing about it. Neither of them were doing a _goddamn thing _about it. That was it.

Startled gasps sounded as she drew her gun and aimed at Ruby first, then Nami. Back to Ruby, whose hands stayed in the air. "He's done this _before?" _she asked slowly, her voice hoarse from the shouting.

"Jill, put the gun down."

"And you both KNOW about it, and—and you _let it go on_?" Jill continued, ignoring Ruby. "You fucking _deny _it?!"

"Put the gun DOWN. Nami, get upstairs NOW and call the police."

Nami stood, frozen, at the top of the stairs.

"POLICE, Nami!"

"Yeah, let's get the police down here so I can tell them what the fuck your SON DID!" Jill yelled, keeping her gun trained on Ruby. "I swear to fucking God, I have half a mind to go up there to his room and blow his brains out right this second! How many other girls has he done this to, huh?!"

Ruby was silent, though the disdain on her face was evident.

After the quiet standoff went on for a few more seconds, Jill made a disgusted noise and shoved her gun back into her waistband. "You're not worth it," she decided quietly, before walking over to the counter. Jill stared Ruby down for a few tense seconds before spitting in her face, grabbing her cash off the floor, and making for the door. She had to get out before she truly did something she'd regret. Maybe she'd call the police to investigate once she got home. She sure as hell didn't want to stick around for the questioning, though.

The morning was still dark and chilly, the crickets giving their last songs to the stars before they faded in the daylight. A strip of gold lined the bottom of the horizon as Jill made her way through town, following the footpaths and looking around in a fit of paranoia. Her bag was slung over her shoulder, car keys in one hand, gun in the other. She kept to the streetlights, but checked the shadows for anything suspicious, seeing the light stop before the valley leading back to where she'd parked. She'd consider herself lucky if Rock was still asleep in his room, even if it meant he was getting away with his sick crimes for now. She never wanted to see him, or his mother, or Nami, ever again. She didn't even want to remember their names, or the town's name.

When she reached the valley, she booked it, running as fast as she was able to. Grass crunched, her breathing echoed, and she felt brief jolts of panic each time she stumbled. She couldn't be sure he wasn't behind her. Or waiting ahead. Anywhere. He knew the place. She didn't. He'd said "See you later." What if he'd fully meant it?

She slowed as she exited the other end of the valley pathway, her car coming into view. The faded, scratched silver paint stood out in the darkness.

But she didn't dare take a step closer.

Once again, the feeling hit her, and rooted her legs to the ground. The feeling that she should stay right where she was, and absolutely _not _get in. The sense that something was terribly amiss. An overwhelming sense of danger and hostility, and it was coming from the car. The car she wasn't sure she'd even locked when she'd gotten out.

_See you later, babe._

He'd meant it. She just _knew_ he'd meant it.

At least now, she was armed.

Letting her bag drop to the ground and stuffing her keys back into her pocket, she aimed the gun at her car and turned the safety off, taking every ounce of willpower to keep it steady and keep her finger off the trigger. "Get the fuck out, NOW," she said, her voice coming out choked. "Get the fuck OUT of my car!"

Nothing.

The sky brightened a bit.

"Rock, I know you're in there! I have a gun, and it's loaded!" Jill warned, squinting into the shadows inside. Had she seen something move? "Get out NOW. This your last warning!"

A few more seconds.

The back door creaked open, and Jill only just stopped herself from firing right then and there. An oily chuckle sounded as Rock slipped out, all dressed for the day in jeans and a t-shirt. He didn't bother raising his hands, instead stuffing them in his pockets and kicking the door closed as he grinned at Jill.

"Get your hands out of your pockets," Jill ordered, now keeping the gun trained on him.

"It's cool, babe," Rock said, shrugging and raising his hands lazily. "I'm not armed. You can come check for yourself." He licked his teeth and laughed.

Feeling close to vomiting again, Jill narrowed her eyes. "What the hell were you doing in my backseat, you sick piece of shit?"

Rock feigned a pout. "Aww, you're just being mea—"

"ANSWER ME!" Was this a game to him? Did he think she was bluffing?

"Heh." Rock rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. "I know you were awake earlier... man, that was fucking hot. I knew that you knew I was there, you know. You know how hard that made me? I didn't wanna let you go without having some _real _fun, that's all."

Jill was speechless at how freely he'd admitted it. So casual. He was beyond sick. And he was far too fearless about the whole situation he was in.

"Hearing you scream just now," Rock went on, shuddering with pleasure. "_Damn. _I wanted to hear you scream like that when I fucked you. You know? My cock's pretty big. It's _really _hard right now. How tight's your pussy, baby?" he asked, biting at his lower lip and leering at Jill. "Think it could take me? Wanna put the gun down and find out? I bet I could still make you want it, couldn't I? You don't really wanna shoot me."

Trembling, Jill cocked the hammer and shook her head. He was out of his mind. Delusional. Taunting her. What in the hell was wrong with him? Did he really think she wouldn't do it? Or was this some sick suicide-by-cop fantasy he was aiming to play out? She didn't want to know, really. She just wanted him to shut the hell up. "You say _one more word. _I swear to God."

"Okay, so I see how you wanna end it, then." Rock took a step forward. "Fine, be a bitch. But I'm still gonna try." Jill stood her ground. "Came too far to back off now. I've taken chicks with guns before. They choke. And then I show them a good time." He took another step forward. "Got nothin' to lose," he sang, reaching into his pocket. "So why not? Gonna be exciting for one of us, anyway!"

A shadow fell over his face, he pulled something out of his pocket that gleamed in the growing sunlight, and he lunged.

Jill fired—once, twice, three times. Rock fell back to the ground, the object thudding heavily into the grass. He thrashed around, gagging and gurgling incoherently, and clutching at his throat. A splash of blood was coughed up onto his chin and cheeks, and flowed down to darken his white t-shirt and soak his fingers and arms. His breathing grew slow, shallow, and raspy, ending in an echoing rattle that stilled him.

His eyes focused on Jill, before growing distant and glassy, half-lidded. He looked vaguely amused by the whole ordeal, overall. Lying next to him in the grass was a switchblade, flipped open.

Jill's eyes burned, her vision growing blurry, and she struggled to keep breathing even as she felt like her own throat and chest were fighting her. Deep breath in, deep breath out. In, and out. Her head hurt, like a migraine crashing down on her out of nowhere. Her cheeks were wet, and blood spattered her hoodie. She didn't care. She'd burn it later.

She just wanted to get away. Get the fuck away from the horrible town forever, try to outrun the traumatizing memories that were sure to dig their hooks into her in short order. If she had to deal with the police after this, fuck it. She'd deal. Maybe Ruby wouldn't even bother calling them. Maybe she'd realize what sort of monster she'd raised, or maybe her denial would just grow stronger and she'd go to her grave hating Jill forever.

Jill didn't care. She had to get out. She hadn't wanted this. She'd just been passing through. She'd just wanted a good night's rest and a peaceful return home after a fun vacation. She'd never wanted to go home scarred.

Blocking Rock's motionless form from her mind for the time being, Jill picked up her bag with unsteady hands, checked the car to make sure Rock hadn't brought friends along—she wouldn't have put it past him—and slid into the driver's seat, clutching the steering wheel tightly and pressing her forehead to it. She'd be okay. Eventually. Wouldn't she? Was she the first girl he'd done this to, or had there been others? No, no, there had absolutely been others, she'd heard as much from Nami. Rock had said so, too, and she couldn't help but believe his horrifying claims after this. Had they escaped with their lives intact? She'd stopped a monster, but how much of one? How many more Rocks were out there in the world?

Clenching her jaw and shaking her head to clear it, she double-checked all her doors to make sure they were locked, swallowed hard, and turned the key in the ignition. It was time to go home.

As she circled on the crunchy gravel to leave, the sign lingered in her rearview, obscuring where Rock had fallen. _Welcome to Forget-me-not Valley. _And she knew, as hard as she might try to, the name was far too fitting.


End file.
